| Abstract [eng] |
Recently, the social and spatial exclusion of the population has been increasing, which adversely affect the welfare of the country. Twenty-two sparsely populated municipalities have been selected as the subject of the research. These are municipalities (LAU-1) where the rural population density at the beginning of the 2017 did not exceed 12.5 inhabitants per square kilometer. The spatial exclusion of sparsely populated areas (hereinafter – the SPAs) population is particularly high, it is characterized not only by the distance to the service centers, but also by reduced access to services for the reduction of public transport services. This is a service for the welfare of the population, and jobs are moving away from the population. Therefore, all regions of the country are rarely inhabited, they have a particularly poor demographic situation, they are unattractive for investment, a network of education, health and other institutions is rapidly disappearing. It only further growing the social and spatial exclusion of the population, which adversely affects the demographic, social and economic processes. The analysis of SPAs and their increasing territorial distribution would contribute to justice, social cohesion and territorial inequalities in the area. Data from the Lithuania Department of Statistics and experience from several years of expeditions to sparsely populated areas have helped us to make some conclusions. At the end of the work, recommendations are presented that can contribute to better regional policy in Lithuania. |
